Persuasive Speech Outline

I. Introduction:
a. Attention Grabber: Have you felt stressed or lonely during the pandemic?
b. Audience Relevance: Owning a pet could help those problems
c. Credibility: I have a pet and through personal experience, having a pet has
helped me during the pandemic
d. Preview: A study from the CDC shows an increase of depression, anxiety, stress,
and loneliness in Americans during the pandemic. I will be convincing you why
owning a pet could be the solution to these problems.

Transition: Aforementioned, pets can help in many ways: loneliness

II. Body
a. Main Point I: The pandemic has kept us away from our loved ones, and that
leads to loneliness, having a pet could help that
i. According to Independent.co.uk, pet owners prefer the companionship of
their pets over another human
ii. Pets are seen as better listeners because they do not judge or question
iii. Pet owners prefer spending time with their pet because they don’t nag,
never talk back, and are always in a good mood
Transition: Some may say that having a pet is just another responsibility, but at least this
responsibility benefits your mental, physical, and emotional health [REFUTATIO]
b. Main Point II: Having a pet could be good for your mental health
i. According to a 2018 article by newsinhealth.gov, animal interaction has
been shown to decrease levels of the stress-related hormone, cortisol
ii. A University of Brit. Colum. study finds that therapy dogs help stressed
university students
iii.
Transition:
c. Main Point III: Having a pet could also be good for your physical health
i. Having a dog provides strong motivation, and will make your daily walk
or run less lonely and more fun
ii. Dog ownership is also linked to a lower incidence of heart disease
iii. According to Harvard Health study, dog owners have lower cholesterol,
triglycerides, and blood pressure
Transition:

III. Conclusion:
a. Signal the End: In conclusion
b. Recap: the pandemic has taken a toll on our mental, physical, and emotional
health. The aforementioned circumstance may suck, but having a pet could make
it a little better as well as its benefits
c. Memorable Close: